Lead Me Not Into Temptation
by OhMahChildhood
Summary: What IF Vincent had chosen Lena (Season 2, episode 5 "God bless the child") over Catherine? This story explores that possibility.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This is a "what if" story..what IF this had happened instead of what DID happen?_

"Let me love you, Vincent..."

He paced in his chamber, the words echoing in his head. Right now, Lena was sleeping with the baby by her side and he was restless. He loved Catherine, but..Lena had been right. Catherine was up there, free to live her life and do as she chose and he was down here. He was free..but not free in the same sense that she was. If she wanted to go out with another man, kiss him, make love to him..he would feel every second of it but be unable to stop her. And it was starting to tear him apart. Vincent growled in frustration and slammed his fists down onto his desk. Throwing on his cloak, he left his chamber almost at a run, headed for the tunnel he knew was closest to Catherine's apartment. He scaled her apartment building like Spiderman and pounded on her balcony door.

"Vincent..what's wrong?" Catherine asked, pulling her robe tight against the chilly night air. Vincent didn't say a word but instead pulled her to him, kissing her hard. At first, she struggled but eventually gave in to her own passion for him.

Eventually, he pulled away, embarrassed at behavior, his loss of control.

"Vincent, can you tell me what's wrong?" Catherine asked, sitting in one of the wrought iron chairs that stood on her balcony. He paced back and forth, running his hands through his reddish gold mane of hair.

"I'm sorry, Catherine. I..lost control. I'm sorry." he said softly, turning to look at her with regret in his eyes.

"Don't be sorry..not for that, Vincent. Don't ever be sorry for losing control of your love for me." she replied with a hint of a smile. Vincent tried to smile back but didn't quite make it.

"Catherine I..this has been a difficult night for me. Lena..came to me. Asked me to let her love me. The girl is in love with me and I..for the first time, I know what it's like to be some one's possibility." he explained and she sat back, a little startled by his confession.

"She's..confused." Catherine frowned.

"I know that. But..it does make a certain amount of..sense. We love each other, very much, Catherine. But we cannot be together except in a few stolen moments. We cannot be together the way we ought to be! And it's tearing me apart." he said, sinking down into the other wrought iron chair on her balcony, his head in his hands, tears rolling down his nose. "And I find that, without wanting to, I am falling in love with Lena, too."

This confession rocked Catherine and she stood up and turned away from him. She'd always enjoyed knowing that no matter what happened, Vincent was there waiting for her when she came home every night and that even though they couldn't spend a lot of time together, he would still wait for her. Forever it had seemed. Now that didn't seem so certain.

"What are you telling me, Vincent?" she whispered, biting her lip.

"I'm telling you, Catherine, that we need to spend some time apart. You are free to live your life up here, in the sun. If you wanted to go on a date with another man, kiss him, hold him..make love to him..I wouldn't be able to stop you and yet I'd feel every moment of it through our bond. And knowing that is tearing me apart, Catherine. I think..if we were not together, I could find some way to sever the bond. At least partially. I love you, Catherine, but our relationship is a doomed one. We always knew that." he said and with a sweep of his cloak, he disappeared over the side of her balcony into the dark of the night. She just stood there, staring out at the blinking lights of the city, her body trembling as she fought back tears. "I'm sorry.." she whispered, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.


	2. Chapter 2

Six weeks passed.

One night, Father was playing chess with Vincent when he decided to bring up the subject.

"So..we haven't uh..seen Catherine around here for awhile." Father mentioned casually while he moved one of his rooks. Vincent countered the move and shrugged.

"She and I..have decided to go our separate ways, Father. You've said from the beginning our relationship was doomed and I finally gave into that realization, that's all." he replied softly. Father stared at him over the tops of his glasses.

"But what about your bond?" he asked. Vincent shrugged again.

"It seems to be lessening. Not altogether severed but less than it was. The less we are together, the less I feel her and I think that might be a good thing for me. It might..give me the opportunity to explore other avenues without feeling guilty about it."

Father raised an eyebrow.

"You mean avenues like Lena? You two have been seen together quite a lot over the last few weeks. Mouse told me the other night he came across you two in the common room. You were up very late, Lena was feeding the baby and you were reading to her. A very cozy picture, I must say." Father said cautiously, not wanting to upset his son.

"And why not explore my opportunities? Lena loves me, Father. And she and I can be together whenever we want or need to..not just when my duties permit or when she can steal a few minutes here or there on the off chance that she MIGHT not be seen coming into the Tunnels. We can build a life together. Catherine and I could never do that, even if we wanted to. I cannot live in her world and she could not, did not even want to make the attempt, to live in mine! As much as I loved her..and I did love her...all she really brought me was heartache and pain. Yes, she opened my eyes to things I'd never thought of before, never felt before. But all that was shadowed by the pain of knowing we could never be together because of who and what I am. She could never..introduce me to her friends or her family. She could never..do the things we both wanted to do together, or go the places we longed to go together. What we had was a beautiful dream, but that's all it was. A dream." Vincent got up and paced for a moment, his cloak swinging gently around his ankles.

"With Lena, I can live that dream. We can build a family, Father."

Father nodded, gnawing on the stem of his eyeglasses. He'd known that eventually, the relationship with Catherine would end and hopefully it wouldn't be terribly painful for Vincent. Or, he admitted, for Catherine either. Vincent seemed eager to move on and he hoped Catherine was as well. He didn't know if Catherine had realized the same things Vincent had just confessed to him but, given that she was an intelligent woman with a lot of heart, she probably did.

"Then i am glad for you, my son. Lena is wonderful girl. Smart, funny, warm.."he said and Vincent nodded, returning to the table to finish their game.

"I think I made the right decision." Vincent said, flourishing his bishop as he moved in to checkmate Father who sat back and groaned, rubbing a hand across his face as he acknowledged the loss.

A few nights later, Vincent came upon Lena as she had handed baby Dorothy (as the child had come to be named) off to Mary so she could take a few hours' break from the arduous task of mothering.

"Care to take a walk, Lena?" Vincent asked, smiling down at her. Lena took his large hand in hers and kissed it.

"Of course not, Vincent." she said softly, gazing up at him with her soft blue eyes full of emotion.

As they walked, they talked of inconsequential things until they came to a some what private spot that Vincent knew of. He kissed Lena, his velvet tongue rasping over her lips as his hands slid over her body. Lena pushed against him, kissing him back, drawing him to her. Vincent pulled away and looked into her eyes, looking for reassurance. Lena nodded wordlessly and Vincent kissed his way down her throat to the top of her linen blouse. Again, looking for reassurance, he looked up at her and she nodded, loosening the ties of her blouse a little. Vincent kissed her cleavage, laving his tongue over the tops of her breasts and she leaned her head back, letting out a soft moan.

"Vincent..don't start what you can't..can't finish." she whispered huskily and he nodded, pulling her blouse off her shoulders and down around her waist. Her small, full breasts were exposed and he suckled one, tasting the slightest hint of breastmilk there from where she'd been feeding Dorothy earlier. Lena let out a small gasp but didn't stop him. She let her shirt fall around her hips and eventually wiggled out of it, letting it hit the ground as she kicked it to the side. She buried her hands in Vincent's mane, guiding him ever downward as he kissed his way down her soft belly to the top of the long, leather skirt she wore. Again, he looked at her for confirmation and she nodded. He untied the skirt and she let it drop to her feet. He pulled down her underwear and licked gently at her sex.

"Oh Vincent.."she breathed, her heart pounding in her chest. He continue to lick and suckle, feeling her encouraging him as her knees buckled and she slid to the ground. Vincent couldn't contain himself anymore. He divested himself of his pants and boots faster than he'd ever done before, plunging his hard length into her as she wrapped her legs around him. He drove himself into her, harder, faster, wanting to roar out his passion but keeping a tenuous hold on his voice lest somebody hear him and come running to see what was going on. Lena's head tossed back and forth and she moaned his name over and over.

He closed his eyes as his world exploded, stars shooting in his vision as he felt Lena's body contract hard. Two, three times she clutched him and was still.

Vincent collapsed on top of her for a moment and then, not wanting to suffocate her, rolled to the side. Lena looked over at him. "That was so wonderful, Vincent." she whispered, reaching out to stroke his face. He pulled her to him and held her, her chin nestled against his chest. He'd never been happier or felt more satisfied than he had in that moment.

In her apartment, Catherine sat up, a sheen of sweat on her body. Vincent had just made love to someone and she bit her lip, trying not to cry. She'd felt it through their bond. Although the bond was weaker than it had been, she felt it just the same. She felt his happiness and satisfaction as well. Turning back to her pillow, Catherine began to sob because she hadn't been the one to make him feel that way. Could never have been the one to make him feel that way, she realized. She'd tried to get over their relationship, tried to put him behind her. But it was proving difficult and every day she encountered things that made her think of him. She wondered if he was going through the same thing, but decided he probably wasn't if what she'd just sensed was any indication.

Still..at least he was happy, she thought to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Nearly eight months passed since that night when Lena and Vincent had first made love. They were seen constantly together and Dorothy (or Dot, as Vincent often called her) called Vincent "Papa Vincent". Of course..she called nearly every male Papa, but nobody seemed to mind that much. It was almost time for Winterfest.

"Vincent..I've decided to invite Catherine to Winterfest." Father said one day, rather casually. Vincent leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asked.

"I don't see why not..she was once very important to our community. And to you, I might add." Father said, sinking into a chair. Vincent sat across from him.

"Yes..well. If you think it's the right idea." he agreed with a nod.

A few days later, Catherine answered a knock at her apartment door. She'd been reading the newspaper and putting her feet up after a long day at work.

"Father! I haven't seen you in months..please. Come in!" she said excitedly, ushering him into the apartment. It was only then she noticed the candle held in the hand that didn't grasp his walking stick.

"I've come to invite you to Winterfest, our winter festival which happens every year just after Christmas. We bring these candles to all of our Helpers, all of those who are special to us. Without their light, we would all suffer in the darkness." he explained, offering her the red, white and yellow striped candle. She took it, rolling it in her hands, admiring the beauty of such a simple thing as a beeswax candle.

"Of course I'll come. Vi..Vincent is OK with this? He doesn't mind?" she asked, offering him a seat on her sofa. Father sat down and held his walking stick in both hands before him.

"No..he doesn't mind. In fact..the real reason I came was not to invite you to Winterfest, Catherine. I wanted to check on you. We haven't heard from you in months and I wanted to make sure you were alright." he told her. Catherine sighed.

"I'm doing ok, I guess. I mean..I miss Vincent terribly. I miss all of you. But I feel like since Vincent and I have..gone our separate ways, I don't really belong there anymore." she said softly, shaking her head sadly.

"You belong there as long as you want to belong there, Catherine." Father replied, reaching over to grasp one of her hands. Catherine smiled softly.

"Well I don't know about that. Vincent might feel differently." she said as he got up to leave. "I'll think about it."

The day of Winterfest came and Catherine did decide to attend. As she walked into the large hall they would use for the festival, alongside at least a hundred other Helpers, she saw Vincent and Lena holding hands. Lena was actually glowing and Catherine tilted her head, watching the young mother for a moment. Then she gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. Pardon me." she muttered as she worked her way through the crowd towards Vincent.

"Catherine..it is good to see you." he said, smiling softly. He realized he'd missed her after all these months apart and he tried to pull her into a hug, but she resisted.

"Can I speak to you..alone?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing angrily. Vincent looked a little confused and nodded.

"Of course. Lena..I will return in a moment. Catherine needs to speak to me." he said to his girlfriend (for that's what she had become, truly, he thought). Lena nodded, shifting Dorothy to her other arm. Vincent walked with Catherine, clearly fuming, down a side corridor until they were out of hearing distance of the party.

"Now, what is this all about, Catherine? We haven't seen or talked to each other in months and you're angry with me. Why?" he asked firmly. Catherine merely glared up at him for a moment, trying to keep from exploding at him.

"Is she PREGNANT?" Catherine asked.

"Pregnant? Lena? I..don't know." Vincent stuttered. "Why should it matter if she is?"

Catherine whirled on her heel, facing the wall while she got control of her emotions.

"Because you said you loved ME, Vincent. That's why it matters." she said when she turned to face him again, tears running down her face. Vincent gathered her into his arms.

"I did..and do love you, Catherine. But I love her too. You and I..our relationship was doomed from the start. You belong Above, I belong Below. I can never live in your world and you could never live in mine. It would kill you to live down here, away from your work and your friends. Lena and I..we're a better fit than you and I were. We don't share the same kind of bond that you and I did, naturally, but it is enough. I am happier than I've been in a long, long time, Catherine. Loving you brought me more heartache and loneliness and sorrow than it ever did joy. With Lena and Dot, I am happy. We are almost like a family. I was planning on asking her to marry me tonight." Vincent said softly, stroking Catherine's long brown hair as she sobbed into his quilted vest. Hearing that he planned on asking Lena to marry him made her cry even harder. She'd lost him..and seeing him again tonight and hearing what she'd just heard was killing her inside.

Vincent let her cry as long as she wanted, until her tears were spent. While Catherine sobbed, he thought about what she'd said. Was Lena actually pregnant? He had noticed she was wearing her clothes a little looser, that her waist was a little thicker. But he'd attributed it to other things..to her lack of activity, to her increased appetite that he'd noticed in the last few weeks. Which also, he mused, could be signs of pregnancy. His child. HIS child. If she was pregnant, then it was HIS child. And the thought of being a father rocked him to the core. He couldn't believe it and only prayed it were true.

After a few minutes had passed, Vincent pushed Catherine away so he could look at her. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. He offered her a linen handkerchief to blow her nose, which she did.

"Vincent..I thought..I thought coming here tonight, I'd..we'd..we'd see each other again and it would be like rediscovering our love. But I see now that's not true. I..I'm sorry. I think I just need to go home." she whispered and he put a hand on her back as he guided her back towards the party.

"Mouse will see you out." he said as he spotted the young man with his longtime girlfriend Cat nearby. He signaled to Mouse and explained what he wanted. Mouse eagerly nodded and led Catherine through the throng.

Pregnant. She didn't know he knew but he would have Mary confirm it as soon as possible.

And he didn't know what on earth he'd tell Father, who would surely be as shocked as he was.


	4. Chapter 4

Lena watched Vincent and Catherine leave the party momentarily. Part of her was afraid that Catherine would convince him to break up with her, to go back to Catherine because they'd once had such a strong bond. Mentally she shook herself. Vincent would never do that to her..especially not now that she was pregnant with his child.

She shifted Dorothy to her other hip, smiling at the thought. She knew he'd never made love to Catherine..she was much too prim and proper to allow it, from what she gathered. Vincent had told her their relationship had remained very chaste, despite his passion for the young attorney. It wasn't until he fell in love with Lena that he felt free to express that passion. She wasn't the same kind of well brought up girl that Catherine was and it was probably a good thing, too. At least, that's how Lena felt. Vincent could be wild with her and she didn't mind, didn't scare as easily in the face of an all consuming desire the way Catherine seemed to. Lena felt the same way about him, that she couldn't get enough of him. She couldn't get enough of talking to him, sharing her thoughts and feelings with him and she definately couldn't get enough of his hard, muscular body. AND he was a good father to Dorothy to boot.

"Have you seen Vincent, Lena?" Father asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yeah..he went to go talk to Catherine but then she left. She didn't look well and Mouse took her out." Lena replied, handing Dorothy off to somebody who asked to hold her. Father frowned.

"I must find him." he said and stumped off in search of Vincent. But before he could find Vincent, Vincent found him.

"What happened to Catherine?" Father asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She..wasn't feeling well. Mouse is seeing her home right now." Vincent replied, looking over Father's head towards Lena with a goofy grin on his face. Father frowned at the look, shaking his head.

Vincent pushed through the crowd, pushing towards Lena.

"Lena." he said softly and she looked up at him.

"Hi, baby." she whispered back, leaning on his chest with her arms around him. Vincent held her for a long moment, his chin resting on her head with his eyes closed.

"I have to ask you something." he told her, stepping back a foot or two before getting down on one knee. Lena gasped.

"Vincent..what on earth are you doing?" she cried, a look of shock on her face.

"Lena, you know that I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone before and with you, there's a side of myself that I can bring out that nobody really ever gets to see. I want you, Dot and I to be a family, Lena. Will you marry me? Please?" he asked, holding out a ring that Mouse had made for him with the letters L and V intertwined. Lena stared at it, then at him, not knowing what to say. She could feel the blood rushing to her head and she felt faint. Her face when totally white and Vincent got up, supporting her with one arm behind her back.

"Easy, Lena. Breathe." he told her and she tried to take deep breaths. But it was like her heart was stuck in her throat and she couldn't get her breath. She collapsed in Vincent's arms and he lowered her gently to the ground.

"Get back. Let her breathe. Let her get some air." he told the people crowding around, trying to see what had just happened. This was so not what he expected at all. As he tried to check her pulse and make sure she was going to be OK, he noticed a pool of blood under her hips.

"Oh. Shit." he muttered.


	5. Chapter 5

Vincent tossed and turned in his bed. He could feel the sheet sticking to him with sweat as he grimaced in pain as he slept. Suddenly, he felt a cool hand on his brow and he sat up, growling, teeth bared.

"Vincent..ssh. It's only me." Catherine said softly, brushing his hair back from his face. He blinked several times, trying to clear the fog from his brain.

"Catherine?"he said, confused and she took one of his large hands in her own smaller ones.

"I'm here, Vincent." she said. "I'm here."

"Where is Lena? Is she alright?" he asked and Catherine frowned.

"Lena? She's sleeping..with baby Catherine." Catherine replied, confused. Now it was Vincent's turn to look confused.

"Baby Catherine? But I thought she named the baby Dor..oh." he said, suddenly realizing. "This was..all a dream, then. I was dreaming...all of it." and his heart sank to his knees. So it hadn't been real after all..not his relationship with Lena, not her carrying his child. None of it. "But it all seemed so real to me.." he said as he sat up, shoving a fistful of hair out of his face.

"What seemed so real? Tell me." Catherine asked gently.

"I had a dream..a very real dream, Catherine. You may not want to hear it..it will break your heart. But if you ask me, I will tell you." Vincent warned her and Catherine looked concerned.

"Tell me, Vincent." she demanded and so he spilled it all..everything. That he'd left Catherine and started a new life with Lena, that he and Lena had been rather passionately involved and that she had been carrying his child when the dream had taken a sudden left turn and he woke up frightened and confused.

Catherine bit her lip. "Is this what..you wish would happen?" she asked, a little scared but needing to know the answer anyway.

"Perhaps." Vincent admitted, dropping his eyes from her face. It was a good thing she couldn't see him blushing right now, what with the shadows in the room and all. "You have to admit, Catherine, that ours is a difficult relationship. We cannot be together as much as either one of us would wish and we both know that..as much as you love me, there is little chance ours would be so..passionate." he said, spitting out finally what he felt. He was sick of being a martyr to Catherine's prudishness. He was sick of desiring her and never being able to act on that desire because it was what she wanted.

Catherine dropped his hand and stood up from the chair she'd been sitting in next to his bed.

"You've been ill. You don't know what you're saying, Vincent. You're..confused, right now." Catherine said, struggling to maintain an air of calm.

"Perhaps." Vincent replied, looking up at her with pain in his blue-gray eyes. "Perhaps you're right.."he added, shaking his head. "But it would be nice, nonetheless. I have a great love for you, Catherine. Greater than you could ever imagine and I..desire you. More than you can ever dream. But to not be allowed to ACT on that desire because even after all this time you fear what could happen? It's one of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with. You have no idea how much..self control it takes to keep myself from ravishing you like a pirate in an old romance novel." he said honestly and Catherine sat down again, her hands in her lap.

"I had no idea you felt this way. And you feel that with Lena you could..express that passionate side, am I right?" Catherine said, not sure what to think about his confession.

"Yes." Vincent admitted, feeling even more like an ass.

"Vincent..it's not that I don't..desire you as well. It's just that..you're right. I am scared of what would happen if you were to let go of some of your self control in the midst of that..passion." she admitted, gnawing on a fingernail nervously.

Vincent sighed. It was almost as if this were some sort of torturous Gordian Knot they had to overcome..and he had no idea how.


	6. Chapter 6

Several days had passed since Vincent confessed his dream to Catherine. She had decided to stay away and he could feel, through their bond, that she was confused and hurt just as he was.

A week passed, then two. Still she stayed away, trying to figure things out in her head and heart. It was driving Vincent crazy but he couldn't compel her to come to him and he didn't dare intrude on her solitude if she wanted to stay away. He would spend long nights, pacing restlessly in his chambers, raking his hands through his mane out of frustration because he didn't know how to solve this problem. The others stayed away, fearing his anger and wanting to give him space to work through whatever it was that was causing him so much obvious pain.

Finally, one night, he heard his name being tapped on a master pipe. He raced to the tunnel which led in to Central Park where he'd often met Catherine before. She was there, dressed in a body-hugging long sleeved shirt, skin tight jeans and a pair of expensive looking knee-high leather boots. Vincent felt his heart skip a beat at seeing her there, the shape of her body illuminated by the moon behind her.

"Catherine." was all he said, his voice husky with desire.

"I'm here, Vincent. I..had to come." she said as she walked slowly towards him, her hips swaying enticingly. Diamond studs sparkled in her ears and there was a single diamond mounted in a gold pendant dangling around her neck, catching the light every now and then. She took Vincent's breath away and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to keep a tight rein on his control.

"I missed you, Vincent." she whispered, closing the gap between them and wrapping her arms around him, her head on his broad chest. Vincent cautiously wrapped his arms around her, his heart thudding so hard it felt like it would pound right out of his chest.

"I missed you too, Catherine." was all he could say.

"I was thinking..about what you said. About the dream you had when you were ill. And..if that's what it takes to keep you, to make you happy..."Catherine bit her lip.

Vincent blinked and looked down at her. Had she just said what he thought she said?

"Catherine..you know I would never make you do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. And I would never push you into anything. Up till now, ours has been more of a..courtly love. We love each other but we don't push the boundaries too far because of who and what we both are. While there would be no shame in taking things farther, to a more physical level..I would never push you to do that. Not if you didn't want to." he told her, holding her at arm's length so he could look into her eyes. Catherine stared up into his eyes and he could feel her trembling.

"No..this is what I want. I've been thinking a lot about it, Vincent and I..you're right. I've just been scared and I don't want to be scared anymore. You taught me to face my fears, always. And hiding behind this fear isn't..it's not how I want to live my life. You don't deserve to be treated that way. You're too good for that." she explained as she leaned up to kiss him. She put her hands on either side of his face, drawing him down to her. Vincent sighed but kissed her anyway, hoping that she really meant what she'd said about facing her fears. He could feel how uncertain she still was but that she was also willing to give this..thing..between them a chance. He nuzzled down her neck, to the deep vee of the neckline of her shirt. Catherine gasped but didn't stop him, which he figured was a good sign.

"Vincent.."she breathed huskily. He looked up, her face flushed.

"Yes, Catherine?" he asked. She smiled.

"Nothing." she said, running her fingers through his strawberry blonde mane of hair.


	7. Chapter 7

Morning came..but it was difficult to tell morning from night Below. At least, it was for Catherine. Vincent, who had lived by the rhythm of these tunnels all his life, had no problem with it. Catherine stretched and yawned, snuggling into the warm, soft linen shirt that covered his chest.

"Good morning, Catherine." he said softly, kissing the top of her head. The previous night had been one of the most wonderful of his life and he was amazed to wake up and find her still by his side.

"Good morning, Vincent." she replied softly, nuzzling him which caused him to throw his head back and stifle a groan.

"If you keep doing that.."he said through gritted teeth.

"Then what?" Catherine replied playfully. "You're gonna spank me for being a bad girl?" Vincent shook his head.

"I just might."

He pulled her to him and held her, her head tucked under his chin. "Was last night as wonderful for you as it was for me, Catherine?" he asked thoughtfully, gazing wistfully somewhere into the distance.

"Of course it was, Vincent. It was..amazing. There are no words to describe.."she trailed off, one hand running down his chest to settle at his waist. "I would do it again..a thousand times."

Vincent chuckled. "It did feel like a thousand times."

Catherine looked up at him in mock horror and swatted at his chest.

There was a knock on the arched entrance to his chamber. and Vincent half sat up, pulling up the blanket that covered them to protect Catherine's modesty.

"Vincent?" a voice called out from the shadowy depths of the tunnel just beyond. It was Mouse, arguably one of Vincent's best and oldest friends.

"What is it, Mouse?" he called back curiously, wondering what the young man wanted.

"Can I come in? Need to talk." Mouse replied, inching forward but not quite coming through the doorway.

"Not just now, Mouse. I need..some privacy." Vincent told him. He could hear Mouse muttering to himself about always needing privacy, always being alone. "Ok good. Ok fine." Mouse finally spoke up and Vincent could hear his footsteps retreating.

"Now..where were we?" he asked Catherine, who was smiling up at him. "Ah yes..I remember. Just here." he said, cradling her face in his hands as he kissed her.

There was another knock at the chamber's entrance a few minutes later and Vincent quietly muttered a curse. Why WAS it when he most wanted to be alone, everybody needed his attention? With a sigh, he called out. "Yes?"

"Vincent..sorry. Mouse said you wanted to be alone, but breakfast is ready. And Barnabas and some of the guys on the team working on expanding the east side tunnels need your advice on something. The number of chambers to be built for personal use, I think." Kipper replied. Vincent shook his head. It was always SOMETHING.

Catherine glanced at her watch. "I need to be going anyway..I'll be late for work." she said with a sigh of regret. She would have rather stayed here all day, making love to Vincent. "Duty calls."

Vincent nodded. "So it does."


	8. Chapter 8

The day seemed to pass more quickly than most days. Vincent's mind was never fully on anything anybody said to him...he was always partly distracted by thoughts of Catherine.

After dinner (Catherine was working late that night and couldn't see him), Lena curled up on one of the couches in the common room with six month old baby Catherine asleep in a basket beside her. She was reading a book, but was having trouble keeping her mind on it. Word traveled fast in the tunnels and by now, pretty much everybody knew what had gone on the night before with Catherine and Vincent. She let out a frustrated sigh, shutting the book with a snap. She didn't know why it bothered her...except she still loved Vincent a little. She'd tried to keep her distance since the night he told her they could never be together because he would always love Catherine. Though he'd said it in the most gentle way possible, it still stung. Other young men had tried to catch her attention, but none of them held it for very long. She didn't want anyone else..she just wanted Vincent. But she knew she'd never be able to tear him away from Catherine.

The thought of even trying made her feel like the world's biggest asshole. She didn't know what to do, or exactly how to feel. Nothing she'd ever gone through had prepared her for this kind of situation. Lena shook her head, some of her pale blonde hair coming loose from the bun in which she'd gathered it that morning.

"Hello Lena.."Vincent said, sitting on the other end of the couch. "What are you reading?"

Lena blinked. "Huh...oh. I don't know. I can't keep my mind on it tonight." she said, setting the book aside. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into his arms and settle her head on his broad chest, but she didn't dare take that kind of liberty with him. She didn't belong to him...she didn't belong to anybody, really. And though she felt at home and safe in the community below the streets, she was still wanting and needing that feeling of being loved unconditionally. Of course, she had baby Catherine's love..but it wasn't really enough. There was still a great big hole in her heart that needed to be filled.

Vincent picked up the book she'd set aside. "The Great Gatsby...not one of my favorites, but a good book nonetheless." he commented and she shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess." she said, not looking at him. She stared off into the distance and bit her lip. Vincent could tell something was wrong though.

"Do you wish to talk about what is wrong, Lena?" he asked softly, taking one of her hands in his. Lena looked down at his huge hand enveloping her own small one.

"I..I wish I could, Vincent." she whispered as she pulled her hand away. "But I can't."

He nodded, knowing she'd open up to him in her own time. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as he got to his feet.

"Have a good evening then, Lena." he replied softly as he walked away.

Lena touched her cheek where he kissed her and broke into a sob of anger and frustration and regret, burying her face in one of the fluffy throw pillows on the couch. Up the tunnel, Vincent could hear her crying but resisted the urge to go to her and comfort her. He had a vague inkling of why she was so upset. She was still in love with him.

And, he hated to admit, even though he'd spent the last night making love to his beloved Catherine, there was a part of him that loved Lena too.


End file.
